The ramp-up has paralleled Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's tenure, which began in 2011.

One investment made by the state's brownfield program during Malloy's tenure is $500,000 used to clean up the former U.S. Baird site in Stratford that now serves as home to Two Roads Brewery, which employs 100 people and is the largest craft brewery in the state.

In 2012, Malloy signed a law allowing craft breweries to have on-site taprooms that didn't require food service. He also signed a Sunday liquor sales law that allows breweries to sell by the pint, said Brad Hittle, CEO of Two Roads Brewery.

This year, Malloy signed the farm brewery law, which allows farm breweries to make, store, bottle, distribute, and sell up to 75,000 gallons of beer a year, and to advertise their product as Connecticut Craft Beer.